Parts washer



Feb. 10, 1959 w. D. CARRIE PARTS .IASHER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 10, 1959 l w. D. CARRIE 2,872,895

PARTS WASHER Filed Deo. l2, 1955 l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 www@ llnited States Patent O 2,872,895 PARTS WASHER William D. Carrie, Lisle, Ill., assigner to Crane Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois The present invention relates to a parts washer, and more particularly to apparatus for clearing chips from internally threaded parts. v

Metal pieces or parts which have been machined present a problem in the clearing oft of chips which lodge on and cling to surfaces thereof, especially in the case ot' internally threaded hollow articles. Special equipment and a` separate removal step have heretofore been required to clean or clear machined parts of the particles, often quite tine, which remain lodged thereon upon removal from a machine, as well as the expenditure of considerable time and labor.

The present invention provides means by which the clearing of chips and like particles from machined parts may be performed expeditiously and effectively without interrupting or slowing production or requiring time or labor in addition to that normally expended in handling the parts. According tothe invention, simple apparatus comprising a casing having a bottom drain opening is provided, of such size and form as to be readily mounted adjacent a chucking machine` The casing has means therein for moving parts by gravity alone past inlet means through which fluid is applied to the parts thereby. to wash away the chips. The uid may be the coolant or cutting oil used inthe chucking machine, recirculated under relatively low pressure by the same pump means which supplies it to the machine, or air under pressure, or other suitable iluid. In addition `to the chip-clearing fluid, if it be a liquid, air may be introduced into the casing to dry the articlesafter thechips and particles have been washed away. A coating'composition, as for protecting or lubricating threaded` portions of the parts, also may be introduced through a nozzleV arranged to spray the vcomposition into or onto the articles. The parts move out of a discharge aperture in the vcasing by gravity into any suitable receptacle placed to receive them. The apparatus provides "means for adjustment to adapt to parts of different sizes and shapes. The machine operator need not take time to stack the parts carefully in an lorderly manner in what is termed a tote box or the like for transfer to a chip-removing station, as has heretofore been necessary, but merely places, the parts in the apparatus, disposed conveniently at hand, and the chip-clearing operal tion proceeds automatically. Thus, no separate operation is required for this purpose, and a great saving in time and 'labor is elected. The need for space for a separate handling station is also eliminated.' Since the apparatus operates by gravity, no `motors or powery driving means are necessary to move the parts throughthecasing. The simplicity of the apparatus reduces i 'maintenance to a minimum. The invention Vmay be embodied in many forms, several of which are particularly disclosed herein.

lt is an important object'of the invention to provide apparatus for automatically clearing chips and like particles from machined lparts without necessitating a separate op eration or station therefor. j

Another object is the provision of apparatus vfor clearare ing chips from machined parts which operates by gravity and requires no power application.

Another object is the provision of chip-clearing apparatus for machined parts which may be disposed adjacent a chucking machine or the like to operate upon the parts as they are removed from the machine, to same space, labor and time.

A further object is the provision of a parts washer for removal of chips from machined parts which operates very effectively on internally threaded parts.

Another object is the provision of a parts washer which readily incorporates means for drying the parts and means for applying protective coating material.

Still another object is the provision of a parts washer especially adapted to internal chip clearing of tubular parts.

A further object is the provision of a parts washer which is simple in construction and operation, requiring minimum maintenance and effects great savings in labor, time, and expense.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description, taken with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. l is an elevational view of one embodiment of the invention, taken approximately as indicated by the line 1--1 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the apparatus taken ap proximately on theline 2-2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section through one of the holders of the device of Figs. l and 2, with a reducing adapter therein.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown one preferred embodiment of the invention in a parts washing apparatus generally designated 10 which comprises a casing deiined by a circular side wall 11, ilat top wall 12, and a conical bottom wall 13. The casing is disposed at a substantial angle to the horizontal, in this case approximately 45 degrees, and at the lower portion of the bottom wall is formed with a drain aperture 14 which opens into a tubular support 15 which also serves as a drain conduit. A support bracket 16 may be welded or otherwise secured to the support 15 to aid in mounting the device. Within the casing is a perforated supporting plate 17 which is disposed parallel to the top wall 12 by means of spaced brackets or lugs 18 secured to the side and bottom walls. At the lower portion of the support plate 17, there is formed a discharge opening 19 partially overlying the drain aperture 14, and a discharge chute 20 extends from below the opening 19 outwardly of the casing `to guide parts which have passed through the casing. A strip of sheet metal or the like bent to angular cross section is secured to the lower portion of the plate 17 so that the upstanding llange thereof forms a trap 21 along the lower edge of the discharge opening 19 to prevent the possibility oi parts becoming jammed.

A relatively large central drainage aperture 22 is formed in the plate 17 and a baille 23 is provided adjacent the lower edge of this aperture to arrest liquid passing over the support plate. Between the top wall 12 and the perforated support plate 17, a carrier disk 24 is rotatably mounted by means of a central shaft 2S which extends from the disk through the top wall 12 withinan upwardly extending housing 26 at the upper and lower ends of which ball bearings 27 are disposed, held in de sired spaced relation by a spacer bushing 23 on the shaft 25'. The disk has a number of openings, in this case fteen, arranged in a circle adjacent its edge and preferably equally spaced. The disk may further have a number of other openings therethrough to lessen the weight thereof, such other openings not being shown in the present instance, however. T he upper end of the shaft 2S projects from the housing 26 and is threaded for the re- @erases ception -of lock nuts 29 which secure it against axial movement, in .cooperation with a lower enlarged -shaft portion adjacent the disk 24. A cam 30, which in effect is a cylindrical cam, is secured on the end of the shaft by ,the locknuts y29. The cam is in the shape -of allatcircular plate with radiallyextending-teeth 3-1 spaced along its c dge, the number ofthese tecth-correspondingto the number of the circularly arranged-openings in the disk 24. Braeing ribs 32 may be-provided'on-the'top wall i12 `secured to thehousing 26. Secured in the openings at the edge of the disc 24 are the generally cylindricalholders 33 which depend from the disk with theirlower edges .spaced somewhat above the support plate `17. The holders may be secured to the disk as by welding, for exam- -ple,.and preferably havetheir upper inner surface portions tapered so as to receive and guide -into'the main portions of the holders the tubular parts vP -which have 'been threaded or otherwise machined and are to have .ehipsorother particles therein removed by means ofithe present device.

As-will be clear from Fig. 2, the-internal diameter of the holders 33 corresponds to the diameter of'thelargest portion of the parts P so that the parts-may move therethrough so as to rest upon the perforated support plate 17 while engaged in the holders, and be moved along the support plate by rotation of the disk 24. An insertion opening 34 is provided at theupper portion of the top wall 12, to one side of the verticalaxial plane therethrough, as will be evident from Fig. l. The vopening 34 is of suilicient extent to expose at least two of the holders 33, so that parts P may be readily dropped into successive holders. The weight of the parts disposed in the holders 33, by reason of the location of the opening 34 and the inclination of the casing, causes Vthe disk 24 to rotate, the parts P thus being moved over the Support plate 17 downwardly in an arcuate path to the discharge opening 19 through which they fall by gravity onto the chute 20 for discharge into a tote box or similar receptacle.

Extending through the top wall 12 of the casing so as to discharge over the holders 33 and parts P therein moving between the insertion aperture 34 and the discharge opening 19 are iluid inlet means. These means comprise an inlet 35 for iluid, such as a liquid coolant or cutting oil from a chucking or like machine on which the parts have been threaded or otherwise machined, an inlet 36 for injection of a blast of compressed air, and an inlet 37 for the injection of a protecting and/or lubricating composition, as for threaded portions of theparts. The-inlet 35 may convenient be connected to the coolant or cutting oil supply source of the adjacent machine .so that some of this liquid will pass downwardly into the casing under the relatively low machine pump pressure. The inlet 36 is connected through a conventional solenoid valve (not shown) to a suitable source of air under pressure and is of a type incorporating a suitable injection nozzle, so that when the valve is open a blast or jet of air will impinge upon the part P passing therebelow. The inlet 37 is similarly connected through a solenoid valve to a source of the protecting composition maintained under suitable pressure. The inlet 35, which may be controlled by a manually operated valve, permits a substantially constant ilow of liquid therethrough, and may be disposed at any suitable point along the path of the parts P to discharge into and over the said parts. It will be clear that as a part P in a holder 33 passes under inlet 35, the liquid or other fluid will 'flush the interior of the part to carry. away any chips or similar particles lodged on threaded portions, shoulders, or `likeprojections in the part, the liquid then flowing through the perforations of the support plate 17 .and central aperture 22 thereof onto the bottom wall 13 and through the drain opening 14 into the combined support and drain conduit 15, which may be connected to the returnpline or sump of the adjacent machine for recirculation of the liquid by the pump. The jet or injection inlet 36 .is arranged to operate-when aholder 33Ais-centeredtherebelow, and the injector 37 is arranged to operate when a part P is centered therebelow. This timed operation of the jet inlets 36 and 37 is provided by suitable switches controlling the respective solenoid valves. A switch 38 is mounted on the casing adjacent the cam 30 and has a roller 39 engaging the'undersurfaees of the cam teeth 31, the number of l.which is equal to that of the holders 33. The roller is carried on an arm or lever 40 urged upwardly'by suitable spring means so -that the-roller will be alternately'depressed-and raised as the teeth 31, the lower. edges of which are preferably beveled, pass thereover when the cam 30 rotates with the shaft 35 as the disc 24 rotates. -The'details of the switch need not be further described herein, since such switches are well known in the art, but the switch is suitably connected to the solenoid valve controlling flow through the inlet injector 36. `When1the roller is depressed by a 4tooth 31 passing thereover, the-switch is closed to cause opening of the solenoid valve, and the passage of a tooth 31 over the roller 39 is :made to coincide with the vpassage of a holder 33 under the injector 36. Another switch 41 is suitably mounted-on the'side-wall v11 of the casing, and a trip lever 42 projects Athrough the wall '11 below the lower endsof-theiholders 33in the path of parts Pand is pivoted adjacent the wall 11 as by means of a suitable bracket 43, so asto close the contacts of the switch and operate the solenoid valve controlling -ow through the injector 37 when moved by engagement with a part 'P in aholder 33 passing-under the injector 37. The outer switch-engaging end ofthe lever 42 as shown may be of threadedly adjustable construction so that exact'timing of this liquid injection relative to the `part movement may be achieved. The opening-in the wall may be sealed as by a rubber grommet or the like. The holders 33 are designed for the accommodation of straight tubular parts of a given diameter, but are readily usable for similar parts of smaller diameters-by means of adapters 44 which are `of generally cylindrical form, with an outer diameter equal to the inner diameter of the holder and an inner diameter corresponding to the largest diameter of the partto' be accommodated. One adapter 44 is shown in Fig. V3 in position in a holder 33, the upper end of the adapter having an youtwardly flared portion to engage on `the tapered inner lsurface of the holder, -the Vadapter thus requiring merely to be dropped into the holder. The adapter,l ike the holder, may have its inner surface tapered for-facilitating insertion of the parts. It will be clear thatthe parts washing ldevice.10 may be employed for washing tubular parts, such as Ts, crosses, Ys, or Ls, which are not of'the straight tubular form of the part P illustrated. lThis-may be accomplished by changing the form of the holders so as to receive such bent or branched parts, and disposing the several inlet means n such relation to the passages or openings through the parts as to be aligned therewith as the parts are moved past the inlets.

The chip-clearing liquid 'ilowing through the inlet 35 need not be under any appreciable pressure in the particular arrangement illustrated. If the inlet is disposed more or less horizontally and at a distance from the parts, the liquid may be under appropriate pressure to assure its reaching the parts. In otherwords, it may be injected instead of owingthrough the inlet. vSince the liquid is conserved by return and recirculation, it is unnecessaryto introduce it intermittently in timed relation to movement ofthe parts past the inlet. It would obviously bevwasteful, however, to inject compressedfair continously through Vthe injector :inlet 36, and accordingly intermittent injection thereof is employed as described,.a jetor blast of airrushiug through the injector 36 as each holder 33 moves .past the injector. Still greater conservation of the .compressed air may be achieved, ifdesired, by,.arranging the switch y3 8 to be closed, so as to effect the injection, only when a part P is in the holder, as in the case of the injector 37 for the protecting composition. While the blasts of air aid in drying the parts and also assure removal of all chips tliereform, the device operates quite satisfactorily if no provision for air injection is made or if the air is shut olf. If desired, the injection ot air may be substituted for the flow of tlushing liquid in the clearing of chips and particles from the parts P, in which case the casing need have no drain arrangement and may be open at its bottom. The means for injecting the protecting composition need be employed only when parts requiring the same are being produced, and the injector 37 may be rendered inoperative as by inactivation of the switch 41. Of course, means for injecting the protecting composition may be omitted from the device if desired. In the arrangement shown, waste of the composition as well as undesirable coating of the interior portions of the Adevice thereby are avoided by the timed injection of the compositi-on into the parts.

It will be evident that the invention is susceptible to incorporation in many forms, any of which provide a compact device or apparatus which may readily be mounted adjacent a machine and draw its flushing fluid from a source associated with the machine. Of course, the apparatus may be employed separately from the machine if desired. Also, if any particular circumstances make it desirable, power may be employed to drive the device instead of utilizing gravity, although the elimination of the need for power operation by employing gravity is an important advantage of the invention. It will also be apparent that the invention provides for great flexibility not only in the diversity of parts which may be accommodated but also in the operations which may be performed thereon.

While only one embodiment of the invention is disclosed herein, it will be understood that the invention may be incorporated in apparatns of forms modified or different from that specifically illustrated, and accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited otherwise than as required by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for interior cleaning of tubular articles, comprising a casing deiined by top and bottom plates and an enclosing wall, a hollow support for the casing secured to the bottom plate, a drain aperture in the bottom plate placing the casing in communication with said support, an inclined disk mounted in the casing for rotation about an inclined axis, a perforated support plate secured in the casing below and parallel to said disk, a plurality of spaced apertures in the disk arranged circularly about the center thereof, hollow means mounted in each of said disk apertures extending between the disk and support plate dimensioned to receive an article therethrough for support by the support plate, an article insertion opening in the casing top plate at a location over an elevated portion of the disk for insertion of articles into said hollow means to cause rotation of the disk by gravity for movement of the article in an inclined arcuate path over the support plate to a lower position, an aperture in the support plate in said path and underlying a lower portion of the disk, an article discharge opening in the bottom plate underlying said support plate aperture, a plurality of fluid inlet means opening through the casing top plate into the casing above the disk disposed along an arc registering with said path and including at least one injecting inlet means for admitting fluid under considerable pressure into the casing, means for controlling operation of said injecting inlet means, and cam means rotatable with the disk engaging said control means for actuation thereof.

2. A device for interior cleaning of tubular articles,

comprising a casing including top and bottom walls, a hollow support for the casing secured to the bottom wall, a drain aperture in the casing affording communication with the support, rotatable means mounted in the casing for rotation about an inclined axis and having a plurality of means for receiving articles therethrough arranged circularly about the center thereof, an article insertion opening in the top wall over an elevated portion of the inclined rotating means exposing at least one of `said receiving means at all times for reception of an article to cause rotation of the rotating means by gravity for article movement downwardly in an inclined arcuate path, means secured in the casing underlying the path of receiving means having articles therein to support the articles in said movement, a break in said underlying means adjacent a lower portion of the rotating means dening the lower end of the article path permitting dropping of articles from the receiving means by gravity, an aperture in the casing adjacent the break to pass the dropped articles out of the casing, fluid inlet means opening into the casing along the path Of the articles for introduction of fluid into the interior of the articles in said movement including at least one injecting inlet means for fluid under pressure, and means for operating the injection inlet means in timed relation to said movement of the articles.

3. A device for interior cleaning of tubular articles, comprising a casing including top and bottom walls, inclined means mounted in the casing for rotation about an inclined axis and having arranged circularly about the center thereof a plurality of means for receiving articles, an article insertion opening in the top wall over an elevated portion of the inclined means exposing at least one of said receiving means at all times for reception of an article to cause rotation of the inclined means by gravity for article movement downwardly in an inclined arcuate path, means secured in the casing extending below and parallel to the disk engaged by and supporting articles disposed in the receiving means for movement in said path, a break in said supporting means adjacent a lower portion of the inclined means defining the lower end of said path permitting dropping of articles out of the receiving means by gravity, an aperture in the casing adjacent said break to pass the dropped articles out of the casing, and fluid inlet means opening into the casing along said path for introduction of uid into the articles for clearing the interior thereof upon said article movement.

4. A device for interior cleaning of tubular articles, comprising a casing, an article conveyor structure in the casing having a conveyor mounted to rotate about an inclined axis including a plurality of means circularly arranged about the center thereof for receiving articles therethrough and also having means underlying at least an arcuate portion of the inclined rotatable conveyor between upper and lower portions thereof to support articles disposed in the receiving means, an insertion opening in the casing at said upper conveyor portion exposing at least one of said receiving means for disposition of an article therein to move downwardly by gravity over said underlying means, a break in said underlying means adjacent said lower conveyor portion for dropping of articles from the receiving means by gravity, an aperture in the casing adjacent said break to pass dropped articles out of the casing, and fluid inlet means opening into the casing along the path of the articles for introduction of fluid into the interior of the articles.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

